Nightmares
by Ju the Absurd
Summary: Vader's greatest fear...


TITLE: Nightmares

TITLE: Nightmares

AUTHOR: Ju the Absurd

RATING: PG for, I think, one cussword or something like that. it's really no big deal.

DISCLAIMER: none of the characters belong to me. They are all Lucas' bitches. =) 

SUMMARY: I had a funny idea one afternoon, so I sat down for an hour or so and wrote it down. Just read the thing. And don't stop halfway through; the punchline's worth the entire fic. ;P

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The two stormtroopers stationed outside his door stood disciplined, no expression showing through the white death masks. They stared straight ahead as the faint sounds began, as usual. The screams grew louder until they were shrieks, frantic and terrified. Beneath his mask one closed his eyes, wishing he could put hands to his ears, shut out the cries. Undisciplined for a moment, he shot a glance at his fellow guard. The other man caught his glance and they shared a moment of empathy before staring again at the wall in front of them. 

He tried to stop his mind from contemplating the screams' origin. They were not supposed to take notice of the sounds. They were supposed to ignore them. It was nigh on impossible. The shrieks grew ever louder, piercing through the walls, echoing down the hall. 

It was like this often. These two troopers were stationed here every night. And they were forbidden to discuss the cries with anyone; it was best if as few as possible knew of the Darth's nightmares.

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Vader jerked upright in his bed, hands clutching sweat-drenched sheets. In a moment of uncustomary weakness, he buried his head in his hands, shaking with remembered terror. The dreams had come again. They came almost every night now, it seemed. God, they were horrible. 

He gradually slowed his ragged breaths, taking control. The asthmatic wheezings became more even and he forced his hands to unclench from the sheets. With a wave of his still-unsteady hand and a push of the Force, he brightened the lights in his room, chasing the shadows away. 

__

Steady, he told himself. _You're a Lord of the Sith. This should not frighten you._ He closed his eyes, _But it does_.

He levered his feet over the edge of the bed and stood slowly up. He couldn't sleep. The nightmares would return. Vader began to pace around his room, searching for solace and finding none. He chastised himself for his weakness, tried to convince himself that there was nothing to fear, but it didn't work. As much as he tried to deny it, the contents of his dreams scared him more than he would admit. 

His desperate pacing led him to the far wall and he paused, exhausted, and slumped against it, head bowed in defeat. It was no use. 

Then a familiar touch in his mind prompted him to immediately drop to his knee, lower his face in submission. Alone in his room, he bowed to his master. 

__

I feel your troubles, my apprentice. What has disturbed you? The voice in his mind was cold. 

__

Apologies if I have disturbed you, my master. It is nothing.

Nonsense. 

To his great shame, Vader was commanded mentally to tell his master the truth. He despised every second. 

__

They're dreams, my master. Merely dreams. 

The icy presence expressed incredulous disbelief. 

__

And what type of dream could bother an apprentice of mine? 

His voice demanded an explanation. Vader told all. When he was finished, the frigid presence softened a bit with sympathy. 

__

Ah, my apprentice. That is truly a horrible nightmare. Then the voice became stern once more. _But you must overcome it! The power of the Dark Side is more than a match for even this most-horrible apparition. _

Vader submitted to his master's disapproval, promising mutely to overcome his fears. Satisfied, the Emperor withdrew, leaving the Darth alone once again. 

He straightened stiffly. He was now in possession of a command from his master, to overcome his fear. Damn. He had no other option than to try. 

He shuddered at the remaining memory of the dreams, dreading sleep. Shaking his head in denial, he attempted to banish his fears. A Lord of the Sith could deal with mere nightmares. Even ones as horrible as his. 

Pacing over to his bed, he lay down and dimmed the lights, willing himself to sleep. 

For what seemed an eternity, he stared at the ceiling, mustering up the courage to drift back into slumber. Lord of the Sith, he reminded himself. You can deal with this. 

Taking a deep breath, he used a sith trick to send himself into a partial trance, and from there drifting into slumber. 

His breathing slowed and his face relaxed. 

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The guards were still standing at attention, guarding the Sith Lord's chambers. The cries had died abruptly and the lights had flickered on, emphasized by pacing footsteps, though of course they pretended to take no notice. Now the lights were off again and there were no sounds coming from the room. Letting out a small sigh, the guards hoped the rest of the night would be quiet. 

Everything was silent for a while and it seemed as if they were suspended in time. Then, soft cries began to emanate from the room. The guards hunched lower in their armour, subconsciously trying to hide, as a scream, louder than before tore through the door. 

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Vader's twisting body writhed in bed. In the mists of his dream-mind, the figure emerged from the darkness. Shadows danced across its face, but that voice cackled through the tormented crevasses of the Sith's mind. 

****

"Mesa Jar-Jar Binks!"

__

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!" 


End file.
